Nailhead-spacing device



Jan. 26 1926.

C. FLAGS-TAD NA'IL BEA-D SPACING DEVICE -Fi1ed Augu st 95/1925 Patented Jan. 26, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,570,735 PATENT OFFICE.

CORNELL FLAGSTAD, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-FOURTH TO IVAR SIVERTSEN, ONE-FOURTH TO JOHN P. JAGOBSEN, AND ONE-FOURTH TO OSCAR FLAGSTAD.

NAILI-IEiAD-SPACING DEVICE.

Application filed August 25, 1923. Serial No. 659,362.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CORNELL FLAos'rAn,a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nailhead-Spacing Devices, of which the following is a specification. I I

This invention relates to nail head spa-cing devices and the main object is to provide a simple, efiicient and practical means for spacing a nail head away from the object into which it is driven, so that it may be easily accessible for being pulledout by a claw hammer or other instrument, when so desired. It is well known, especially in the crate and box manufacturing field, that after a container of that class has been filled and shipped toits destination, it must be and usually is so ripped and split to pieces, when removing the contents, that it is thoroughly wrecked, rendering it unfit for future use as such. In order to prevent this useless waste of good shipping containers, and also to satisfy a similar want in many other places where it is known that a nail is to be pulled after it has been driven home, I provide a novel device, the preferred construction and many modifications of which are shown in the accompanying drawing, in which;

Fig. l is a sectional perspective view of two pieces nailed together with a device enibodying the inventioi'i.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the metallic elements shown in Fig. 1, but in spaced rela tion to each other.

Fig. 3 is a modification of the spacing elements shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. i is a bottom view of a device embodying a. further modification over Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail section on the line 5 5 in Fig. 4.

Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 are all additional modifications of the device.

Fig. 12 is a detail perspective showing several of the modifications incorporated in a single device.

Referring to the drawing more particularly and by reference characters, A designates a strip of wood (or other material) which is to be securely nailed to a larger or main piece B by a. nail C. Instead of simply driving the nail through both pieces in the nail,

the usual manner, however, I provide a spacing device D, and in some instances a small plate E, through whichthe nail is first inserted, which device prevents the nail from being driven completely into the wood, and keeps it with its head far enough above the wood so that a hammer claw or other similar tool may engage the device and pull it together with the nail upward, when it is desired to extract the, nail. I

The device is preferably made from a short rectangular strip of sheet metal and is substantially trilaterally formed, as shown, one face having aperforation F, to receive and the opposite. edges being slightly openso that the nail can pass therebetween also. In Fig. 3 the spacer D is shown to have rounded lower edges 14-. In Figs. 4 and 5 the spacer D is provided at its lower edges with vertical tapered flutes or grooves 15 which. permit said edges to be closed together about the nail. These flutes may be large enough'so that the nail will not be clamp-ed thereby when the adjacent edges are forced together, ifsodesired, although the drawing indicates that the nail may be so clamped. The sides of the spacer in these figures are also provided with punched out lips 16, to insure a more positive engagement by the hammer claws when the nail is to be extracted. The spacer D shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is provided, at its open edges, with small integral flanges 17, which prevent it from being driven into the wood when no plate E is used, or said flanges may engage the plate E when the spacer is inverted, as shown in Fig. 7. The spacer D illustrated in Fig. 8, is similar to the spacer D, but its ends are inwardly slanted at an angle substantially the same as the angle formed by the two side portions of the device, thus allowing the hammer claws to engage the ends as well as the sides of the member. The modifications shown in Fig. 9 includes a spacer D similar to the one shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but as used with a plane plate or washer E and with a regular box nail C The spacer D shown in Fig. 10 is similar to the spacer D except that the lower corners have been cut away to allow for end engagement of hammer claws as indicated above in connection with Fig. 8. The spacer D shown in Fig. 11, illustrates how it may be formed in the shape of a closed horseshoe, with substantially the same effect as when triangularly formed. The spacer device D shown in Fig. 12 incorporates the features 1516, and 17 and E, shown in Figs. 4-5, 6, and 7, respectively.

The plate or washer E may be of any suitable shape, and may be secured on the wood, as shown in Fig. 1, or may be free, as indicated in Figs. 3, 7, 9 and 12. When a spacer such as shown in Fig. 3 is used it is desirable to form the washer with a concave central portion 18 about the nail aperture so as to bring the curved spacer edges 14 close down and clamp them against the nail shank when the. latter is driven into place. It is also found desirable, especially when the plate E is to be lixed onthe nailing strip A, to first drill a hole 19 into that strip to save driving the nail through that piece. In box making and similar structures it may also be found desirable to provide the nailing strip A with a wide channel formed between projecting ribs 20, or similar guards, so as to give protection to the projecting spacers and nail heads against lateral knocks or blows from obstacles coming in contact therewith.

It is understood that further modifications may be made in addition to those herein set forth, provided, however, that such modi" iications coine within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having now therefore fully shown and described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A perforated spacing device having integral converging side portions spaced at their near edges to receive a nail inserted in the perforation so that said edges will be forced toward the nail when the latter is driven with its head down against the spacer.

2. A device having a perforation adapted to receive a nail and space its head from the object into which it is driven, said device having converging side portions adapted to be bent inwardly against the nail when the device is clamped between the nail head and said object.

3. A device of the character described consisting of a perforated piece having conver in sides and o ositel 7 arran ed li C G 7 b formed integral with and punched outward.- ly from said converging sides.

i. A perforated spacer of the character described, having converging sides adapted to have their free edges close toward each other by compressing the spacer vertically.

A perforated spacer of the character described, having converging side portions adapted to have their near edges close toward each other by compressing the spacer vertically, said edges having outwardly extending integrally formed flanges, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. A perforated spacer of the character described, consisting of a member having converging side portions, the near ends of which are free and slightly spaced from each other, and a perforated plate arranged under the spacer, said plate contacting with the free ends of the side portions.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CORNELL FLAGSTAD. 

